New York Fashion Week Day 4:Live Music Sets A TranquilMood At Ports 1961

It's hard not to get eclipsed by Marc Jacobs on Fashion Week Monday, but Tia Cibani of Ports 1961 held her own earlier in the evening by setting a moody atmosphere of her own even amidst what has become the usual jostling for admittance into another of the tents' sleeper shows.
Ports has become a big draw, and Cibani has done an exemplary job at giving what was once a classic Canadian sportswear label a strong fashion image.
Last season we and about a hundred or so others were shut out of an oversold show, which is never less than infuriating, so this time we did what we could to make sure that didn't happen again. This time the show was so packed that Elle's Editor in Chief Robbie Myers and Creative Director Joe Zee were stuck standing just inside the door as the show proceeded. Inside the tent, we first noticed a set-up for a band at the base of the runway. Live music at a fashion show can be a mixed blessing. Sometimes it's invigorating (Sonic Youth at Marc Jacobs last season), and sometimes the artists are uneasy ceding attention to a collection of clothes. Sometimes the performers are just plain bad, but when the lights dimmed, and the Canadian group Cowboy Junkies was announced, we had the feeling that we were in for something of a treat. After all it's always a good sign if you have actually heard of the band before. For 20 minutes or so, they transported the Promenade tent out of the tumult that often characterizes the action there.
We could have assumed that we would be presented with a Western themed show, but that would be too obvious. Inspired by artist Emily Carr, Cibani used colors and textures evoking the West, but the only cowboys were onstage playing music. Her collection was elegant and beautifully detailed. Outsized jewelry by Lina Peterson and showpiece hats from Karen Henriksen added a sculptural, artistic quality to the styling, but never distracted from the hypnotic effect of the show. Cibani got a loud ovation as the show ended, which should be a preview of what we will see up close when Ports finally opens its New York flagship store on Gansevoort Street next Spring (we hope?).
After that, it was off to Marc. We thought Ports would be a nice appetizer for the day's main event, but it turned out to be a full meal all by itself.
THE RUNDOWN
MODELS:
Diversity Quotient: 25%
25 models in 42 looks
4 Black Models, Georgie Badiel, Joan Smalls, Arlenis Sosa and Austria Ulloa. 2 Asian Models, Eugenia and Shu Pei in 11 looks total.
CELEBRITIES:
Brandy, Joy Bryant, Bryan Adams,
SWAG:
Handicrafts. A small canvas bag containing a ball of variegated yarn, knitting needles with tassel and rubber pom-pom decoration with a tiny how to knit booklet.